With fares often 30-40% cheaper and a growing network of routes, more Dubai residents are choosing the 20-minute drive to Sharjah over flying out of DXB. If you’re still defaulting to Dubai International every time you book a flight, you might be leaving money on the table. A growing number of Dubai residents are driving the extra 20 minutes to Sharjah International Airport instead, and the savings are hard to ignore.
Why Dubai Residents Are Flying From Sharjah Airport To Save Money
Sharjah is home to Air Arabia, the region’s original low-cost carrier, and that changes the pricing math considerably. Travellers flying to the Indian subcontinent, CIS countries and parts of the Arab world have found SHJ fares running 30-40% cheaper than the equivalent DXB route, particularly on popular corridors like Mumbai, Kochi, Delhi, Cairo and Istanbul. Air Arabia also claims travellers can save up to 90% by pre-booking online rather than paying airport counter rates.
The Airport Itself Is Part Of The Appeal
Beyond fares, Sharjah’s airport is refreshingly low-hassle. It’s a single, compact terminal; you can walk from check-in to your gate in under 10 minutes, and it’s currently undergoing a AED 1.2 billion expansion set to fully separate arrivals and departures by the end of 2026. City check-in counters are also available across Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah, letting travellers drop bags and collect boarding passes up to 36 hours in advance.
Also Read: Now Check-In From The Comfort Of Your Home Before You Board A Flight From Sharjah Airport
The One Trade-Off
SHJ sits about 15-20 km from central Dubai, which usually means factoring in an AED 100+ taxi fare or a metro-and-bus combination to get across as per Flystodubai. For most travellers, that extra cost still comes in well below what they’d save on the airfare itself, especially on longer routes.
A Growing Network
Air Arabia carried 21.8 million passengers in 2025, up 16% year-on-year, and added 30 new routes over the same period. That expansion has continued into 2026, with new services launched to London Gatwick, Prague and Rome, alongside existing routes to Krabi and other Southeast Asian destinations. For UAE residents watching their travel budgets, that growing map makes Sharjah an increasingly viable starting point, not just a backup option.
If your last few Dubai-departure fares felt steeper than they should, it might be worth checking what the same dates look like out of Sharjah before you book.
Cover Image Courtesy: Sharjah Airport/Website
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FAQs
How far is Sharjah Airport from Dubai?
Sharjah International Airport is roughly 15-20km from central Dubai, typically a 20-35 minute drive depending on traffic.
Are flights from Sharjah Airport really cheaper than Dubai?
Yes, on several routes, particularly to the Indian subcontinent and CIS countries, Sharjah fares can run 30-40% cheaper than equivalent Dubai departures.
What new routes has Air Arabia added from Sharjah recently?
Air Arabia has recently launched new routes from Sharjah to London Gatwick, Prague and Rome, alongside its existing network across Asia.